In other words: I’m no stranger to lip balm. And now, because of my job, I test quite a lot of them. Rarely will you ever find me heading to bed without a lip mask glossing my pout. The issue was not getting me on board with lip care—who doesn’t want their lips to feel soft and supple?—it was finding a daily staple that actually put in the work. See, those thick, occlusive, healing ointments have their place (and certainly are needed from time to time). But I was looking for a hydrating balm that I could rely on for regular use, feeding my lips moisture and nutrients for the long run. “Picking is a self-regulating behavior—it stimulates us when we are bored or sedentary (watching TV, at the computer, talking on the phone) and calms us when we are overstimulated (whether by negative emotions or stress, or positive excitement),” says Jennifer Raikes, executive director of the TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors about picking your cuticles. I’d consider myself a member of both clubs—for me, it’s a mindless and stress-induced instinct—and it only gets worse during the winter when my lips are even more prone to chapping. Of course, part of the solution is to monitor my picking habits and manage those feelings of stress (I’m working on it), but keeping my lips aptly hydrated is another very crucial step. Those dry flecks of skin are what make the picking so satisfying, after all. Without much to tear at, I feel less inclined to stick to the skin-prodding habit; it’s easier to find other methods to keep my hands busy without any stray bits of skin taunting my fingertips. A winning lip balm needs an array of humectants, emollients, and occlusives—so it can pull in water, build up the skin barrier, and trap in all that precious moisture—without any potential irritants for sensitive lips. And mindbodygreen’s lip balm trumps on all fronts. Hyaluronic acid helps plump the lips with moisture, like how a dry sponge instantly rises underwater; we chose sodium hyaluronate (a salt form of HA), as it has a low molecular weight and can penetrate even deeper into the skin. For the emollients, you’ll find shea and cocoa seed butters to smooth out any cracked, rough areas. There’s moringa seed oil to feed your skin barrier with antioxidants and fatty acids, thus keeping the lips supple. And, finally, sunflower seed wax provides a protective barrier over the skin without a too-sticky texture. Not only is it a high-quality vegan alternative to beeswax, but sunflower seed wax also leaves a very slight glaze on your pout for the perfect satin-like finish. When I uncap the tube and glide it on, it smooths on oh-so-effortlessly. Our beauty director Alexandra Engler described the application like “wrapping yourself in a cashmere blanket,” and honestly? I couldn’t agree more: It’s like this lip balm has a luxurious thread count of 1,000. But back to the million-dollar question: Does it work? Since testing this balm, my lips feel comfortable and nourished—and without any irresistible flakes for me to tear off, I’ve noticed my picking habit actually start to ebb. This lack of self-surgery coupled with the balm’s natural skin-softening abilities have allowed my lips to truly heal. Never before has the skin felt so plush, supple, and even.
